Inside The Columbus Club Massacre

Killings send chills through clubs

December 10, 2004|By Kathryn Masterson, RedEye.

The shooting at a Columbus nightclub that killed guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott seems to be an isolated incident, but some club owners and concert promoters in Chicago say Wednesday's rampage gave them pause to consider their own security.

At House of Blues, where Abbott's band Damageplan was scheduled to play as part of a Friday morning benefit concert sponsored by 94.7-FM The Zone, security will be increased and backstage access will be limited, said Caitlin Brooks, promotions coordinator for the radio station. The Nutcracker concert, which features a lineup of bands from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m., is a free event to collect toys for Toys for Tots.

The station doesn't believe a repeat shooting will happen--the shooter in Columbus was killed by police--but wants to take extra measures to make sure everyone's safe, Brooks said.

"The fact that they were supposed to be here tomorrow morning is pretty crazy," Brooks said. "It's just scary."

The concert will have a moment of silence around 6 a.m., when Damageplan was scheduled to play. They will also pay tribute to Abbott by playing Damageplan and Pantera songs, Brooks said.

At the Double Door in Wicker Park, co-owner Sean Mulroney said he discussed the shooting with the club's head of security Thursday, and plans to discuss it again Tuesday at a weekly staff meeting.

The club already has good security in place and won't be making changes because of the Columbus incident, but the surprise attack is a reminder to everyone of the need to be aware, Mulroney said.

"It's just another example that anything can happen and [to] be ready for it," Mulroney said.

The Double Door doesn't have metal detectors and only checks people's bags and pockets at shows with a no-cameras policy. Mulroney said the strength of the club's security comes from having people placed in the right positions to control the crowd and remove people who look ready to disrupt the show.

"It's recognizing a situation before it gets out of control," Mulroney said.

Double Door also keeps its crowds until control by not allowing moshing or body surfing, and the venue doesn't book acts that have a reputation for inciting crowds into violent behavior. The club used to have a weekly hip-hop night, but stopped it about four years ago after the crowds started getting violent, Mulroney said.

At Metro, owner Joe Shanahan said protecting patrons is a major part of what the club does. Nightclub tragedies such as the E2 stampede and the Rhode Island fire have made more people think about public safety, and Metro wants to make sure people feel safe walking through their door, he said.

The club has metal detector wands it uses, and security guards around the stage make it highly unlikely that someone could get on stage, like in the Columbus shooting, Shanahan said.